Great reasons to enjoy your grains!

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-19-2002
Great reasons to enjoy your grains!
Wed, 04-26-2006 - 11:58am

From realage.com: 


Eat Bread, Fight Diabetes


 




Not just any bread. Eat the hearty whole-grain breads -- and cereals, pastas, pilafs, et al. -- that heart experts are so high on.


Not only are whole-grain foods much more nutritious and fiber-rich than processed white-flour products, but a new study shows they may help fight factors that can lead to diabetes, from blood sugar spikes to overeating. If you're even remotely at risk for diabetes, aim for about 6 servings of whole grains daily. Yes, tuna salad on whole wheat counts -- 2 servings.

RealAge Benefit: A diet that includes 6 servings of whole grains per day can make your RealAge up to 4 years younger.

Whole grains are crammed with fiber, B vitamins, and minerals (selenium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, iron, and zinc). This potent combination of nutrients helps regulate blood sugar and insulin, curb appetite, control cholesterol, and lower homocysteine, a substance strongly linked with heart disease, according to a major new study of almost 1,000 men and women. No wonder nutritionists have been chanting the whole-grain mantra for years. But now diabetes experts are chanting along with them.